Since 2011, Open Arms Children’s Health has cared for the dental needs of children across the Louisville community, particularly those for whom dental services are often difficult to access. While it serves all children in the community, the dental clinic at Open Arms specializes in providing quality dental care for children placed in foster care, children with autism spectrum disorder, children of refugees and children with medical complexity.

The UofL School of Dentistry will elevate the dental services provided at Open Arms Children’s Health to a higher level through expanded staffing and a full range of pediatric dental care. These services are supported by faculty, residents and students from a dental school ranked in the top 50 worldwide, according to the .

“This partnership is such a natural progression for the Home,” said Paul Robinson, Home of the Innocents president and CEO. “When our dental clinic first opened, UofL’s School of Dentistry was right there with us helping to make sure we could provide the best dental services to our community. We are very excited to welcome them back to our campus and look forward to working with them.”

“Clinics like this one are a win-win. They help meet the oral health needs of underserved populations, while also providing externship opportunities for dental students and residents,” said T. Gerard Bradley, dean of the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. “Through these experiences, our students become not just more skilled, but also more compassionate. It takes both to be an outstanding dental provider.”

All other Home of the Innocents services will remain unchanged, including The Village Pharmacy, Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center, all on-campus and community-based Behavioral Health Services and The Aquatic Therapy Center.

Last week, more than 30 ISLP students departed for a service trip to Belize.

While ISLP has visited several countries throughout the years, Belize is the original and the longest-running service trip. ISLP is an interdisciplinary program includes an intense focus on community service.

“ISLP exposes students to the world by immersing them into the local community through service learning and engaging experiences,” said ISLP program coordinator Nicole Rosskopf, who is also a participant on the trip. “This new perspective gives our students a better understanding of people and cultures around the world.”

While in Belize, 32 students will staff a dental clinic and will teach students in local schools. The students and faculty are from a variety of disciplines including nursing, law, dental, communication and criminal justice. Lesson plans will cover crime prevention, personal safety, dental hygiene, setting and achieving goals and STD and pregnancy prevention.

A few dental students will be working in the school, while the majority will be working in the dental clinic providing services for the community. Non-dental students will also be working in the clinic providing office assistance.

However, the trip won’t be all work. While in Belize, the students will visit the Lamanai Mayan Cultural Site and the Belize Zoo, as well as explore South Water Caye on an island expedition.

The students are blogging about their experiences. .��